Well, I resisted reading this thread as long as possible because my collection is supposed to be getting smaller. The current reframing - it's getting more refined. Like that? Not-so-clever rationalization for adding more plants BUT, they're different and almost all are lots smaller than previous ones. Blooming: - Bl. Richard Mueller, just purchased - Dendrobium ceraula (gonzalesii) - still blooming from 8/07, when it arrived - Dendrobium Mini-Snowflake (Den. aberrans x Den. johnsoniae), just purchased - Dendrobium moniliforme, Scented Moon - first moniliforme to rebloom under my care! - Doriopsisium Little Emma (Pixie Star 'Starry Night' x delicosa 'Tinkerbell'), blooming from purchase - Dtps. Kenneth Schubert 'Blue Angel' (Doritis pulcherrima x Phal. violacea), everblooming - Oncidium Twinkle 'White Cap' (Onc. cheirophorum x Onc. ornithorhynchum), 1st time reblooming under my care - Oncidium Twinkle 'Red Fantasy,' 1st reblooming under my care - Paph Estella (fairrieanum x godefroyae leucochilum 'Cabernet Splash'), 1st reblooming under my care - Sl. Marriottiana (flava) (L. flava 'Clone 1' x Soph. coccinea flavum), just purchased In spike/sheath/bud: - Aerangis fastuosa - 1st Ang. in spike for 1st time under my care! - Baptistonia echinata, just purchased - Brassavola nodosa, var. grandiflora, 1st time in spike under my care - Chiloschista pygmeas - in the middle of sequential blooming for the first time under my care - Dendrobium aberrans, 1st time under my care, after skipping the last time - Dendrobium atroviolaceum ('Pygmy' x sib.), 1st time under my care - Dendrobium Himezakura 'Sanokku' (Den. Oberon x Den. Cassiope), 1st time, etc. - Dinema polybulbon, just purchased - Dtps. Sogo Gotris (Phal. Be Tris x Dtps. Sogo Manager), 1st time, etc. - Dtps. Sogo Melinda 'Caribbean Sunset' (Dtps. Autumn Leaves x Phil. Sogo Lit-Angel) - Masdevallia Celtic Frost (Angel Frost 'Orange Parfait' HCC/AOS x glandulosa 'Nemo') - 1st & only Masde spiking for 1st time under my care! - Phal. Baldans Kaleidoscope, peloric, budding from original spike when purchased in early Sept. - Phal. Cameo, aka Phal. Windsong's Sonnet 'Pine Ridge Peloric' (Zuma Poem x equestris) - Phal. Center Stage 'Pine Ridge Cockleshell' AM/AOS - Phal. Guadalupe Pineda (amboinensis 'Pisang Ambon' x bellina 'Whitey'), 1st time, etc. - Phal. I-Hsin Salmon 'Joy No. 3' (Princess Midas X Kuntrarti Rarashati) - Phal. javanica (KF#1 X KF#2), 1st time, etc. - Phal. parishii, 1st time, 2 spikes - Phal. Penang Girl âChing Reuyâ (Phal. violacea x Phal. venosa), 1st time, and I've had this sucker since 6/05. Thrilling! - Phal. schilleriana-stuartiana (schilleriana (2N from the Phillippines) x stuartiana 'Miami Beach'), just purchased - Phal. Summer Beach (Ken Peterson x Mama Cass) - Phal. Tetra Bell (bellina 'Star of Borneo' x tetraspis 'Snow White') - Phal NOID, white - Phal NOID, yellow, 2 spikes - Polystachya piersii - Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Hildos' FCC/AOS (Butterfly x papilio) I didn't realize this many are spiking/blooming for the first time under my care. Exciting! Congrats to everyone - Whitecat8

I am a newbie to composting. I do not have a bin or a tumbler. I just through them in a remote cornor and hire some earthworms to get the job done. I do not buy them, because it runs against the very principle of composting, that supposed to be natural not by BUT THIS ,BUY THAT! wHEN i FIND SOME IDLE WORMS i PICK THEM UP AND THROW THEM IN.WELCOME! Micro organisms are too too slow for me,I don't have much to live. That is why I hire worms and try to reward them and be nice to them. But I often find them hiding away and sleeping on the job (way down at the bottom). I guess they have a mind of their own. They run away from my compost pile sometimes and find them hiding under a big heavy rock. But one thing I like about them though that they won't bite you or chew up your plants roots. I think they desrve to be free and that is why I don't put them a slippery walled box, not to be able to get away. In my book (or compost pile) worm are free. So are the birds.

Thanks DbarronðÂÂÂ, but a psychopsis would actually fall under the Oncidium alliance, which produce sheaths, a phalaenopsis does not have psudobulbs so it don't produce a sheath. But a phal spike would normally come below the third leaf from the top an in the leaf axil. I actually have 32 of them âº, they are my favourite variety. If you don't have any as yet I would suggest you try one, they are easy and the blooms last very long. Thanks again Velleta

I agree with Darleen. Your temps are most likely too cool when the spike starts growing. Cool temps slow down the growth. Once the spike starts forming, try to give the plant warmer temps and the spike will grow faster. I run into a similar problem here in Florida. Mine live outside, they begin spiking in November as the nights cool down. The spike grows then we get hit with cool daytime temps in Jan/Feb. The spikes begin to stall and the buds stay small. As soon as the daytime temps increase, growth starts again. Very frustrating. I have 5 Phals now, only one is blooming. The rest are just sitting with spikes and buds. When I grew in NY my Phals always bloomed around January. But my house temps were fairly steady and they grew in large windows which were very bright. Hope this helps for next year. Jane